Kâmpóng Saôm

Kâmpóng Saôm, also spelled Kompong Som, also called Sihanoukville, town, autonomous municipality, and the only deepwater port of Cambodia, situated on a peninsula of the Gulf of Thailand. The port is connected with Phnom Penh, the national capital, by two major highways. It was first opened to ocean traffic in 1956; initial facilities were capable of handling simultaneously four 10,000-ton vessels, and additional facilities were added later. By 1966 the town had schools, parks, hospitals, nearly 50 miles (80 km) of streets, and a population of 14,000. By 1967 a major stage of the 163-mile (263-km) rail link to Phnom Penh had been completed. After the Khmer Rouge came to power in the 1970s, many of the city’s businesses and industries closed. With the Khmer’s ouster in the 1990s, the volume of cargo processed at the city’s port increased, and many businesses reopened. Major exports include textiles and timber. The city’s excellent beaches are a popular tourist attraction. There is a major airfield nearby. Pop. (1998) town, 66,723; (2008) town 89,447; autonomous municipality, 221,396.